westegg wrote:TCM will never quite be the same; I hope the current and future hosts will keep the right tone and standard going that Osborne set.

I still haven't gotten used to Mankiewicz, he's so smarmy and sarcastic and ironic in an obvious way, painfully trying too hard to pander to a younger demographic, which TCM has been coveting for years. I don't blame the network for going that route, but they don't have to do it in such a superficial way. Robert Osborne had CLASS and that's something I just don't see in Mankiewicz, at least not yet.

A tweet drew my attention to a piece at The Daily Beast from 2012 by Robert Osborne on 11 underappreciated movies that people ought to know. NitrateVillains will mostly know them— one is the subject of a Great Movies No One's Seen I wrote years ago— but it's a nice piece.

Mike Gebert wrote:A tweet drew my attention to a piece at The Daily Beast from 2012 by Robert Osborne on 11 underappreciated movies that people ought to know. NitrateVillains will mostly know them— one is the subject of a Great Movies No One's Seen I wrote years ago— but it's a nice piece.

That's a great list, and I loved learning a bit more about Robert Osborne's personal taste in lesser-known (to the general public, anyway, not so much to NitrateVillians) titles. The one that stumped me is Vacation from Marriage, I need to see this one!

Also, had a chuckle at hearing Walter Huston referred to as "Anjelica Huston's grandfather", just because that's not where my mind would go when referring to him.

The talented and vivacious Mrs. Gumlegs knew Robert Osbourne in L.A. She was working for a P.R. firm, and he was at the Reporter (IIRC). She said he was always an interested and interesting man, invariably gracious, and a delight to do business with.

I've never had cable TV. All the packaging irritated me. I preferred to just rent laserdiscs, VHS tapes and DVDs and watch the movies without all the accoutrement. But I do remember Robert Osborne having a bit part in a movie. Was it Niagara? Can't remember now, but it was a fairly big picture.

s.w.a.c. wrote:Also, had a chuckle at hearing Walter Huston referred to as "Anjelica Huston's grandfather", just because that's not where my mind would go when referring to him.

S.w.a.c., when speaking to modern audiences about Lionel Barrymore, I usually include some form of, "Drew's great uncle." Ya meet people where they live!

In a review of a Dolores Costello movie, I mentioned her relationship to Ms. Barrymore -- and noted that Drew had inherited her grandmother' eyes.

You're not wrong there, I watched Noah's Ark just before starting in on Drew B.'s new Netflix series Santa Clarita Diet, and noted the similarity as well.

Mostly I wondering how many young audiences have that much of a clue about Anjelica Huston. I'm assuming they've probably seen her in the Addams Family films, but I get the sense she hasn't been that active lately. You'd think if they've gotten as far as something with Walter Huston in it, they'd know what The Maltese Falcon is.

TCM Remembers Robert Osborne - 3/18-19Turner Classic Movies will dedicate two entire days to honor the legacy of longtime host Robert Osborne. Airing all day on Saturday, March 18 and Sunday, March 19, the 48-hour tribute will feature an extensive collection of the long-form interviews Osborne conducted during his 23 year tenure with the network, including:-Memorable installments of Private Screenings and Live from the TCM Classic Film Festival.-Special edition of Private Screenings where actor Alec Baldwin interviewed Osborne on the host's 20th anniversary at the network-Robert's first-film introduction for the network of Gone with the Wind-Among the Private Screenings specials featured during TCM's tribute to Osborne are his interviews with such legendary stars as Debbie Reynolds, Liza Minnelli, Betty Hutton and Ernest Borgnine.-Installments of TCM's annual Live from the TCM Classic Film Festival featured will include Robert's intimate interviews with screen legends such as Peter O'Toole, Eva Marie Saint, Kim Novak, Alan Arkin and Luise Rainer, who was 101 at the time of the interview and without her hearing aids, a situation Osborne graciously worked around by writing each question out on a noteptad for her to read.

TCM's loving tribute to Osborne will showcase the qualities expressed in a message from TCM General Manager Jennifer Dorian, who wrote, "Robert was embraced by devoted fans who saw him as a trusted expert and friend. His calming presence, gentlemanly style, encyclopedic knowledge of film history, fervent support for film preservation and highly personal interviewing style all combined to make him a truly world-class host."

The complete schedule for TCM's tribute to Robert Osborne is included below:

Very sad news, all this is. Robert Osborne. TCM. Old movies. He was kind of a buddy to me, for a long time, in a unique TV-kind-of-way. Staying up late and watching TCM and having Robert on was always a great comfort that I will forever cherish. It was a brilliant programming format too -- but his presence really helped deepen my appreciation for film.

I unfortunately never took any film classes in college, so I always cherished every nugget I could get -- picking up blu-rays, watching what I can, viewing the extras and commentaries, reading forums. But it was clearly something deeper and more authentic with Robert and TCM -- something that just can't be replicated. His love and experience in and of this art form was exceptional.

Of course, I knew this day was coming... and while I always welcome the torch being passed... it is still hard to say goodbye. Especially with Robert. He was big.

s.w.a.c. wrote:IMDb says he had a bit part in Psycho. Can't find an image for it, but here he is on an early episode of The Beverly Hillbillies.

The episodes is one of the early ones in public domain so one can watch, download, and/or burn it archive.org https://archive.org/details/Beverly_Hil ... Strike_Oil" - though he only has a line or two it might make a nice space filler if one is planning to make a dvd of the TCM tributes.

Very sad news, all this is. Robert Osborne. TCM. Old movies. He was kind of a buddy to me, for a long time, in a unique TV-kind-of-way. Staying up late and watching TCM and having Robert on was always a great comfort that I will forever cherish. It was a brilliant programming format too -- but his presence really helped deepen my appreciation for film.

I unfortunately never took any film classes in college, so I always cherished every nugget I could get -- picking up blu-rays, watching what I can, viewing the extras and commentaries, reading forums. But it was clearly something deeper and more authentic with Robert and TCM -- something that just can't be replicated. His love and experience in and of this art form was exceptional.

Of course, I knew this day was coming... and while I always welcome the torch being passed... it is still hard to say goodbye. Especially with Robert. He was big.

Thanks Robert.

Don't worry. You didn't need to take any film classes, or major in film, or any of that sort of thing. In fact, be grateful that you didn't. Clearly, Robert Osborne did more for you than any college could have, and in a much more pleasant way.

And you are right, Robert had a great LOVE of the art of acting, and motion pictures. I don't think Robert could have ever lived with himself if his enjoyment of movies began and ended with picking apart and criticizing every thing and every one he watched.